Partition system



BERGER PARTITION SYSTEM Dec. 31, 1940.

Filed' Oct. 2'7, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR M NNIE BERGER BY 5 /Mucb TORNEY m SQ: vw

Dec. 31, 1940. BERGER 2,226,965

PARTITION SYSTEM Filed 001' 27, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 R ma n m m Y l! 7 I Patented Dec. 31, 1940 PARTITION SYSTEM Mannie Berger, Plainfield, N. J.v Application October 27, 1937, Serial No. 171,233

, 2 Claims.

My present invention, lik the invention disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 100,826, filed September 15, 1936, and now issued as U. S. PatentNo; 2,107,624, relates to 5 partitions and partition systems used especially in offices, hospitals, factories, etc.

Heretofore, as far as I am aware, partition systems having removable panels have employed panels of relatively large size. That isto say,

in most cases, larger. As a. consequence, the panels are diflicult to handle, and they are costly to manufacture, ship, install and remove. To overcome these disadvantages and others, to which large panel partition systems are subject, is the principal object of my present invention.

In carrying out my present invention, each panel of my present partition system is composed of a plurality of relatively small sectional units. In the space between a pair of posts of my improved partition, sectional units or subpanels are mounted one above the other and retained in place by, preferably, tongues and grooves on and in the sectional units. The sectional units are removably fixed in place against spacer elements carried by the posts by means of pilaster strips. The pilaster retaining strips and spacers form another feature of my present invention.

The pilaster retaining strips are preferably screwed to the posts. In general, as retaining screws of this nature are unsightly in appearance, a further feature of my invention resides in the provision of means for keeping from view the fastening screws or other retaining means. In connection with this feature, the pilaster strips are provided with removable covering strips, as will be described in greater detail hereinafter.

Other features, objects and advantages of my present invention will be apparent as the more detailed description thereof proceeds. The more detailed description will be given with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of my improved partition system;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view o f'Figure 1 generally along the lines 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the portion 5 of the partition system of Figure 1 taken along the lines 33;

Figure 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of Figure 1 along lines 4-4;

Figure 5 is a cross-section of a corner of a partition system employing the various features of my present invention;

Figures 6 and 7 are views of a pilaster having a snap-on covering strip, Figure '7 being a sectional view taken on line 66 of Figure 6; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a pilaster prothe panels are usually the size of a-door and,

In construct-5 I.

During construction or assembly of the partition system each of the spaced posts Pl, P2, P3

and P4 consists of a back vertical facing strip or.

piece l4 (see Figs. 3 and 4) to which is fastened or made integral therewith vertical spacer strips or pieces 16 and I8.

A bottom sectional unit, such as BSU (Fig. 1) is inserted in place between the spacer strips 13 and 16 of, for example, posts P3 and P4 (Fig. 3). This unit (BSU) consists of two horizontal members 20, 22 (Fig. 2) fastened to the vertical pieces 24, 26 (Fig. 3) to form a square or rectangular frame. Over the frame 20, 22, 24, 26 there is first mounted rectangular or square sheets of sound proofing material 28, 30. ished off by covers 32, 34 of plywood placed over the frame 20, 22, 24, 26 and acoustically treated material 28, 30. I i

Similar bottom sectional units BSU (see Fig. 1) are placed between posts P3 and P2 and between posts PI and P2. These bottom sectional units are leveled by and may rest upon .an additional strip 36 (Fig. 2) screwed to the floor strip 6,8, and upon rectangular, wooden blocks such as 38 (Fig. 2) screwed to the posts. 1 x

As shown in Figure 1, the middle sectional unitsMSUl, MSUZ are generally of glass, whereas middle sectional unit MSU3 has opaque sides or walls similar to those of the bottom sectional units TSU2, TSU3 and TSU4 have plywood and acoustically treated built up faces such as those of the bottom sectional unit BSUof Figure 2. All of the top, middle and bottom sectional units. may be made interchangeable, thus, for example, TSUI may be built to replace TSU3 or MSU3, or BSU, and, for example, the positions of MSUZ and MSU3, or MSU2 and TSU4, or MSU2 and BSU may be reversed, etc. by providing proper tongues and grooves for the units as described more fully hereinafter.

As shown in Figure 2, a glass sectional unit such as MSU2 ismounted above one of the opaque base sectional units BSU and a further opaque unit TSU2 is mounted over the middle unit MSUZ. The middle sectional unit is providedwith horizontal tongue strips 40, 42 which fit into grooves 44, 46 in, respectively, the horizontal member 22 The unit is fin- 10 units BSU. The top sectional unit TSUI of Figure 1 is of glass, whereas the other top sectional.

" of BSU (Fig. 2) and horizontal frame piece 48 of top sectional unit TSU2.

Vertical frame pieces (not shown), such as 24 and 26 (Fig. 3) of the bottom sectional unit BSU are provided for the glass unit MSU2 of Figure 2.

The glass walls 50, 52 of the unit MSU2 are retained against the verticaland horizontal frame pieces by means of wood molding frames diagrammatically illustrated at 54 and 56.

The removable top sectional unit TSUZ is similar in construction to the unit BSU of Figure 2 and, therefore, will not be described in detail. Unit TSUZ is slid between the fillers or head pieces 60, 62 after which TSUZ is dropped down into tongue and groove engagement with unit MSUZ. The filler pieces are of insulating material such as Insulite, Celotex or Sheet Rock and may be nailed to the ceiling strip l2 and posts I l. The cornice strips 64 and 66 may then be screwed to the top sectional units. TSU and the screw heads covered by means ofstrips 68, Ill frictionally engaging suitable channels in the cornice strips.

To keep the sectional units in place, post pilasters or vertical facing members l8, 72 (Fig. 3) are provided. The pilasters l0, l2 engage the tongues of the vertical pieces of the sectional units such as the tongues of pieces 24 and 2t and are screwed by means of screws 14, it to the posts P3 and Pi, post P3 being made up of 'vertical pilaster M and spacer strips [6, l8 and post P4 being made up of vertical piece I and spacer pieces Hi and 1 8. If desired, the sectional units such as TSU and BSU may be rigidly fixed to the spacer strips I3, It by, respectively, lag screws or bolts 18, Bil.

In addition to the sectional units and in addition to the pilaster retaining means for the units, a further feature of my invention resides in the provision of means for hiding the normally unsightly screws 14, 16. Considering post P3 as typical, as shown in Figures 1 and 3, it is provided with the retaining pilaster T53. Pilaster "it, is provided with a channel having undercut sides. In the channel is slidably arranged a. filler strip cut into three lengths 82, 84 and 86 (Fig. 1). Portions 82 and 84 of Figure 1 are in smooth butt contact at 88, whereas section 86 has been slid up in its channel behind the head piece 60, exposing screws 14. Similarly, by sliding up sections 84 and 82, other screw heads in pilaster may be exposed for fastening or unfastening purposes.

When all sectional units are in place, the units, pilasters and filler strips are flush, presenting a neat and highly desirable over-all smooth partition surface. A minimum number of screw heads such as 90, 92 (Fig. 2) in the base mouldings 9 2, 96 are visible. If desired, these may be removed from view by providing covering strips such as 68 and. Ill.

For more rigid construction and for better support of the filler piece Gil, a section we of the front pilasters, such as 10, may be provided. These sections will be out along line H62 (Fig. 2) be in axial alignment with the pilasters screwed to the composite posts M, is, or nailed to the ceiling piece i2. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional View of Figure 1 along line 3-5 and is believed to be self-explanatory in View of what has preceded. Similarly, Figure 8, a perspective view of a portion of a front pilaster I3 and be screwed and one of the sections of a filer strip is selfexplanatory.

Other arrangements of filler strips and pilasters to hide the pilaster screws may be provided. Thus, as shown in Figure 6. and in cross-section in Figure 7, the filler strip 700 is removably fixed to the pilaster 102 by means of snap fasteners. Although the receiving portions HM of the fasteners are shown attached to the pilaster T92 and the engaging members 106 to the covering wood layer or strip we, members Hi6 may be carried by the pilasters and 104 by the strip 1M, if desired.

Figure 5 is a partial cross-sectional view through post P5 of Figure 1, showing how sectional units according to my present invention may be arranged at an angle to one another.

A further feature of the invention resides in the fact that doors may easily be placed at any desired place in the partition. Thus, as shown in Figure 1, the sectional units below TSU4 have been removed and a door frame and door inserted.

Similarly, if desired, a unit such as MSUI and BSU unit immediately below may be removed and a door frame and door inserted.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

l. A partition system comprising a pair of spaced posts having vertically arranged spacer elements thereon, a sectional unit mounted between said posts and against said spacer elements, a second sectional unit mounted between said posts and above said first mentioned sectional unit, said second sectional unit also being mounted against said vertically arranged spacer elements, said first and second sectional units being in tongue and groove engagement, pilaster strips mounted over the edges of said units and fastened to said posts whereby to maintain said units against said vertically arranged spacer elements, and means removably mounted onsaid pilaster strips for covering the fastening means fastening said pilaster strips to said posts, and being characterized by the fact that said pilaster strips are provided with undercut channels, and being further characterized by the provision of sectionalized strip elements slidably mounted within said channels whereby said sectionalized strip elements may be moved so as to expose the pilaster strip fastening means normally covered by said sectionalized strip elements.

2. A partition system comprising a pair of spaced posts having vertically disposed spacer elements, at least three sectional units mounted one above the other between the posts and against said vertically disposed spacer elements, the middle sectional unit being in tongue and groove engagement with the sectional units immediately above and below said middle unit, said units being substantially of the same size, and pilaster strips engaging the vertical edges of said units and being removably fastened to said posts, and being char acterized by the fact that said pilaster strips are channeled, and being further characterized by the fact that additional sectionalized strips are mounted within said channels in such a way that said sectionalized strips may be moved longitudinally with respect to said pilaster strips so as to expose the means fastening the pilaster strips to said posts.

MANNIE BERG-E32,. 

